Measuring the unmeasurable: models of geographical context

Fotheringham, A. S. and Li, Z. (2023) Measuring the unmeasurable: models of geographical context. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 113(10), pp. 2269-2286. (doi: 10.1080/24694452.2023.2227690)

Abstract

The issue of whether place significantly affects spatial behavior has long created both a philosophical and an operational schism within geography. Here we show how these schisms can be bridged by identifying how place and behavior can be linked through recognizing and incorporating what we term intrinsic and behavioral contextual effects into models of spatial behavior. We argue that spatial modeling frameworks that attempt to relate spatial behavior to aspects of people and places might be seriously misspecified if they do not incorporate both types of contextual effects. We compare three popular statistical modeling frameworks that encompass placed-based contextual effects: spatial error models, multilevel models, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). Based on Monte Carlo simulation and empirical analysis, we demonstrate the reassuring similarity of the results from the three frameworks but also the superiority of MGWR. The inclusion of essentially unmeasurable effects within a nomothetic framework provides an important bridge between two previously distinct philosophies within geography and acts as a binding force within the discipline.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF Grant #2117455).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Li, Dr Ziqi
• Authors: Fotheringham, A. S., and Li, Z.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Annals of the American Association of Geographers
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2469-4452
• ISSN (Online): 2469-4460
• Published Online: 07 August 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Annals of the American Association of Geographers 113(10):2269-2286
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License